CTFishTalk.com: Congamond Lakes 08/09 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

DirtyDawg10 (aka Derek) took the day off from work, so we decided to go fishing. He had never fished the Congamond Lakes when they weren't frozen and I had never been there at all, so we arranged to meet at the Massachusetts State Boat Launch in Southwick, which is on the north end of the middle lake, at 8:00 am. I got to the parking lot a little early and found that Massachusetts charges $5.00 to park after launching a boat. Confused

There were only a few other trailers in the lot. When I launched in The Other Woman at 7:45 am, the air was cool, the sky was misty and there was a light wind out of the south. The surface water temperature was 79 degrees and I could see down about four feet in the slightly murky water. There were weeds under the surface on the bottom everywhere that the depth was less than eight feet. I hung around the ramp until Derek joined me in El Fuego at 8:00 am. Massachusetts fishing regulations apply on the Congamond Lakes and we planned to throw drop shots for most of the day, so we had bismuth and tungsten drop shot weights that comply with Massachusetts' ban on lead sinkers and jigs weighing less than one ounce:

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/fishing/lead_sinkers_loons.htm

We headed down the east shore of the middle lake to the point where it narrows. Along the way, I couldn't resist skipping a wacky rigged light pumpkin five inch Senko underneath a swim platform and caught the first fish when it was picked up by a rock bass. I had to pull rocky out of the onion grass that surrounded the swim platform:

There was a fisherman on a bass boat working the outside weed edge on the leeward (i.e., north) side of the point. As we passed him, we saw him pull a three to 3-1/2 pound largemouth bass off of the bottom. I threw a small white buzzbait over the weeds in the shallows, and the wacky senko and a drop shot Baby Bass four inch Roboworm along the outside weed edge, but got only a few panfish nibbles on the drop shot. Derek didn't have much luck, either, so we headed around the point toward a 20 foot deep hump in 28 feet of water on the bottom of the main body of the middle lake that Derek had seen on a bathymetric chart. Although the hump also appeared on the Navionics chart on my iPhone, I had a lot of trouble finding it. I pedaled over what looked like a soft bottom on my fish finder at 20 feet in 28 feet of water a few times and marked some fish on it, but both of our drop shots got only a small sunny for Derek. I gotta say, fishing that deep in the middle of such a big lake from a kayak got pretty boring pretty fast. Confused

It was difficult to hold our position in the breeze and we couldn't see where we were fishing. Derek said that it was like fishing for cod on a party boat, but without the bait! Laughing

We decided to head down to the shallower water south end of the middle lake, where Derek had been ice fishing before. Along the deeper outside edge of a shallow weedbed, the dropshot got me another rock bass:

But only 10 minutes later, the wacky Senko got me a short largemouth bass:

By that time, any mist in the sky had burned off and we were getting cooked by the blazing hot sun. The surface water temperature had also risen to 84 degrees. We decided to head through the culvert on the south end of the middle lake and check out the lower lake:

I was surprised that my fish finder didn't mark any fish in the cool shade of the culvert, which was only about five feet deep and acted like a mini wind tunnel. The wind blowing through it felt terrific. We didn't stray far from the culvert into the lower lake, but the drop shot got me yet another rock bass:

Derek soon headed back up through the culvert to the middle lake. When I followed him, I threw the wacky Senko into the shade of the culvert and got another short largemouth bass:

We headed into a marina on the west side of the south end of the middle lake, and threw lures next to boats and under docks, trying to find fish in the shade. I finally found a keeper largemouth bass underneath the marina's gas pump with the wacky Senko:

Yeap, it was only 12 inches long, but it was still a keeper! Cool

After we passed the marina, I saw another boat launch and parking area:

Does anyone know whether that ramp and lot are open to the public? We headed up the west shore and worked any shady areas we could find. We both got a lot of nibbles from small fish, but no bites. It wasn't until we got back up to the point where the middle lake narrows that a wacky green pumpkin/red flake Senko got me another short largemouth bass:

We heard the rumble of thunder way off in the distance to the north and decided to paddle through the culvert on the north end of the middle lake to check out the upper lake. The water was much clearer in the upper lake. The clear water and weed covered bottom reminded me a lot of Ball Pond. Neither Derek nor I got any bites before it was time for us to leave. We headed back to the ramp and got off of the water at 3:00 pm. Although the Congamond Lakes are really nice bodies of water, I'd prefer to go back there on a bigger boat and wouldn't go back there on a weekend. On even a hot Thursday, we could tell that it's a very popular recreational lake. We saw only one waterskier, but there were quite a few boats motoring around and throwing off big wakes. Derek said that he's never seen so many pontoon boats moored along a shoreline before. I'd also try to have the patience to fish only the bottom in deeper water. Although I had a great time out there, it's not good when your best catch came off of a swim platform attached to 20 feet of braided line:

I can't wait to try it out. Cool

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hoppy · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 393 Location: congamuck

you catch more rockbass then anyone i have ever met. you caught more rockbass in your one trip there then ive caught there in the last five years. you have rock bass juice on your yak or something? you attract rockbass!!!

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

NWDarkcloud · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 474

nice looking prop bait........ I think im starting to give you a run for rockmaster after last trip out . well its out to the shop for me I got some work to do on the boat Wink

time to start laying out the job ahead
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JustinSolak · Joined: 17 Jul 2011 Posts: 245 Location: East Hartford, CT

PeCo: Thats the launch I always launch at. I've only launched my jon boat there, but never had a problem. I'm not sure if they charge during summer months, but we've gone in the spring and fall and there's never anyone there. Though launching a larger boat might be quite the task, as its not the greatest launch in the world.

But you gotta 'yak... what do you care?
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hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

Hey Phil, I believe that's the Ct state launch for Congamond. I've only gone to the Mass one, but I remembr going by it a couple times. It's a busy lake, but has some largies in it, when you can figure it out.

DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

Had a good time paddling but not a great time fishing. Here's the only one I got...

Caught it in 20ft of water on the drop shot. I was getting little nibbles all day on the drop shot in about 16 to 20ft of water but no bass. They all seemed like rapid fire strikes from sunnies. Had a few takers on the senko but they were just sunnies as well. I pulled a sunny out of the water who just didn't want to let go of the worm. I didn't get a hook on it. It just held on to the worm for dear life.

Drop shotting is a lot like cod fishing except it's at 20ft +/- and not 300ft and there is not a bar in my kayak...lol. I'm looking forward to fishing Congo once it cools off a bit. This weather is tough.

As far as the South ramp, it is public. I noticed after we left that the ticket you get when you pay the $5 launch fee has a check box for North or South ramp.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

anointed130 · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:08 pm Post subject:

I have gone to congamond a few different occasions, never paid when parking in the left parkinglot where that old eatery\bar is. I never brogt my yak, but i dont see how they can charge you for something you carry in.
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SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Now you got me smiling and laughing Stephen LOL

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi,

Yup! Real -> "Hard ... Rock Bass" Thumbs Up

SeaDog1

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Hey Phil,

Are you ready for a new sensation...... with Rock Bass?

ROCK ON!!!!!